PARASITES AND PATHOGENS OF MITES

Mites are an ancient group of arachnids that have had some 400 million years to adapt to a variety of conditions on Earth. Microorganisms ha ve had the same amount of time to form symbiotic relationships with mi tes, with results ranging from phoresy to parasitism. This review cove rs the still fragmentary information on the groups of parasites and pa thogens that are associated with mites. The known mite-associated bact eria, rickettsiae, fungi, Protozoa, viruses, and nematodes represent t he tip of the iceberg, and few details of their host-parasite relation ships have been recorded. Mites offer an opportunity to investigate ne w pathogens and new types of associations. Pathogens can be a boon whe n they affect mites that are detrimental to crops, livestock, or ourse lves, and the diseases they cause probably play an important role in c ontrolling mites, at least under certain conditions. However, pathogen s can also cause crop failure and economic loss when they occur in bio logical control agents of pests.